Further evidence for an intrinsic neuraminidase in CNS myelin

Isoproterenol produces a rapid increase in sialidase activity in rat heart tissue and cardiomyocyte-derived H9c2 cells in culture

The effects of isoproterenol on sialidase activity in rat cardiomyocytes were examined. Administration of isoproterenol to rats (0.2 or 2 mg/kg body weight) produced an increase in sialidase activity in total membrane fraction of heart tissue within 120 min (121+/-13% of the control at 120 min after administration of 0.2 mg isoproterenol/kg, n=5, P<0.05). Sialidase activity in cardiomyocyte-derived H9c2 cells was also increased by treatment with isoproterenol (10 microM) for 60 min. The effect of isoproterenol on sialidase activity was amplified by the addition of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX). Sialidase activity in H9c2 cells was elevated by treatment with dibutyryl cAMP plus IBMX without isoproterenol. The content of N-acetylneuraminic acid in cells decreased by 22% after treatment with isoproterenol plus IBMX. These results suggest that sialidase activity in rat cardiomyocytes is regulated by beta-adrenergic stimulators via a cAMP-dependent process. The increased activity of sialidase may account for the reduction of sialic acid content of cells.

Age-dependent reduction in sialidase activity of nuclear membranes from mouse brain

Sialidase is an enzyme that cleaves alpha-linked sialic acid residues from sialoglycoconjugates and participates in various cellular functions. In the present study, we characterized sialidase activity in nuclear membranes from mouse brain and examined its age-related changes. A highly purified nuclear membrane preparation from 4-week-old mouse brain contained sialidase activity that hydrolyzed both 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-D-N-acetylneuraminic acid (4MU-Neu5Ac) and ganglioside GM3. The specific activities directed toward both substrates were 6.33+/-0.77 and 13.4+/-1.1pmol/mgprotein/min, respectively. Nuclear localization of sialidase activity was confirmed by fluorescent cytochemistry of intact nuclei using 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-alpha-D-N-acetylneuraminic acid (X-Neu5Ac) as the substrate. Age-related changes in nuclear sialidase activity in brain tissue were investigated using mice of different ages (i.e. 2-week-, 4-week-, 14-month-, and 26-month-old). Sialidase activity toward 4MU-Neu5Ac had almost identical levels at 2nd and 4th weeks, but thereafter decreased rapidly; the activity at 26 months was about one third of the young levels. Sialidase activity toward GM3 also showed a similar developmental pattern, though the reduction at advancing ages was less than that of activity toward 4MU-Neu5Ac. The present study demonstrates that the activity of nuclear sialidase decreases with aging. The reduced activity of nuclear sialidase may be implicated with alterations of neural cell function during aging.

Concerted modulation by myelin basic protein and sulfatide of the activity of phospholipase A2 against phospholipid monolayers

The effect of myelin basic protein (MBP) on the activity of phospholipase A2 (PLA2, EC 3.1.1.4) against monolayers of dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (dlPC) or dilauroylphosphatidic acid (dlPA) containing different proportions of sulfatide (Sulf) and galactocerebroside (GalCer) was investigated. MBP was introduced into the interface by direct spreading as an initial constitutive component of the lipid-protein film or by adsorption and penetration from the subphase into the preformed lipid monolayers. The effect of MBP on PLA2 activity depends on the type of phospholipid and on the proportion of MBP at the interface. At a low mole fraction of MBP, homogeneously mixed lipid-protein monolayers are formed, and the PLA2 activity against dlPC is only slightly modified while the degradation of dlPA is markedly inhibited. This is probably due to favorable charge-charge interactions between dlPA and MBP that interfere with the enzyme action. The PLA2 activity against either phospholipid is increased when the mole fraction of MBP exceeds the proportion at which immiscible surface domains are formed. GalCer has little effect on the modulation by MBP of the phospholipase activity. The effect of Sulf depends on its proportions in relation to MBP. The individual effects of both components balance each other, and a finely tuned modulation is regulated by the interactions of MBP with Sulf or with the phospholipid.

Expression of gangliosides in neuronal development of P19 embryonal carcinoma stem cells

Gangliosides are constituents of the cell membrane and are known to have important functions in neuronal differentiation. We employed an embryonal carcinoma stem cell line P19 as an in vitro model to investigate the expression of gangliosides during neuronal development. After treatment with retinoic acid, these cells differentiate synchronously into neuron-like cells by a series of well-defined events of development. We examined several aspects of ganglioside metabolism, including the changes of ganglioside pattern, the activities and gene expression of several enzymes at different stages of differentiation, and the distribution of gangliosides in differentiating neurons. Undifferentiated P19 cells express mainly GM3 and GD3. After P19 cells were committed to differentiation, the synthesis of complex gangliosides was elevated more than 20-fold, coinciding with the stage of neurite outgrowth. During the maturation of differentiated cells, the expression of c-series gangliosides was downregulated concomitantly with upregulation of the expression of a- and b-series gangliosides. We also examined the distribution of gangliosides in differentiating neurons by confocal and transmission electron microscopy after cholera toxin B subunit and sialidase treatment. Confocal microscopic studies showed that gangliosides were distributed on the growth cones and exhibited a punctate localization on neurites and soma. Electron microscopic studies indicated that they also are enriched on the plasma membranes of neurites and the filopodia as well as on the lamellipodia of growth cones during the early stage of neurite outgrowth. Our data demonstrate that the expression of gangliosides in P19 cells during RA-induced neuronal differentiation resembles that of the in vivo development of the vertebrate brain, and hence validates it as an in vitro model for investigating the function of gangliosides in neuronal development.

Myelin contains neutral sphingomyelinase activity that is stimulated by tumor necrosis factor-alpha

Purified myelin from mouse brain was found to contain two forms of neutral sphingomyelinase, one Mg2+ dependent and the other Mg2+ independent. The former had a pH optimum of 7.5 and Km of 0.35 mM, whereas the corresponding values for the latter were pH 8.0 and Km 3.03 mM. Specific activity of the Mg(2+)-dependent enzyme showed a rostral-caudal gradient, ranging from 75 nmol/mg protein/hr in myelin from cerebral hemispheres to 21 nmol/mg protein/hr in myelin from spinal cord. Relative specific activity was approximately 20% that of brain stem or cerebral hemisphere homogenate. Treatment of myelin with taurocholate or high salt concentration did not significantly reduce activity of the Mg(2+)-dependent enzyme. The activity of that enzyme did not change with time or in the presence or absence of protease inhibitors; by contrast, that of Mg(2+)-independent enzyme decreased sharply in the absence of protease inhibitors but rose in their presence. To test for the effect of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) on myelin sphingomyelinase, mouse brain myelin was labeled in vivo by intracerebral injection of [3H]acetate into 18-20-day-old mice. After 40 hr, brain stems were removed, minced, and treated with TNF alpha in Krebs-Ringer solution, after which myelin was immediately isolated. Separation and counting of individual lipids revealed TNF alpha treatment to cause increased labeling of myelin ceramide and cholesterol ester with concomitant decrease in myelin sphingomyelin. Western blotting of myelin proteins using antibodies to the two TNF alpha receptors as probes revealed the presence of the p75 receptor. Implications of these findings in relation to possible mechanisms of autoimmune demyelination are discussed.

Characterization of sialidase activity in mouse synaptic plasma membranes and its age-related changes

Sialidase activity in synaptic plasma membranes (SPM) isolated from C57BL/6 mouse brain was examined using exogenous ganglioside substrates. The enzyme activity directed toward GM3 showed sharp pH dependency with optimal pH of 4.0, and was greatly enhanced by Triton CF-54, Nonidet P-40 or CHAPS. The apparent Km and Vmax values for enzyme activity in SPM were 11 microM and 164 pmol/mg protein/min, respectively. Examination of sialidase activities in subcellular fractions of brain tissues showed the enrichment of enzyme activity in SPM prepared from either young adult or senescent mice. Substrate specificity of SPM sialidase was compared with that of myelin sialidase using delipidated, solubilized enzyme preparations. The SPM sialidase hydrolyzed GD1a more effectively as compared with the myelin enzyme. While SPM sialidase could hydrolyze GM1, the hydrolytic rate by the SPM enzyme was significantly lower than that by the myelin enzyme. The sialidase activity in SPM decreased with increasing age; activity was highest between the ages of 4-7 months, decreased to a relatively constant level between 13-25 months, and reached its lowest level at 31 months. These results demonstrate that SPM contain a distinct sialidase activity which is regulated in an age-dependent manner.

Modulation of the activity of Clostridium perfringens neuraminidase by the molecular organization of gangliosides in monolayers

The activity of Clostridium perfringens neuraminidase against gangliosides GM3, GD1a and GM1 was studied in lipid monolayers at the air-buffer solution interface. The enzyme activity assay against pure ganglioside monolayers is based on the markedly different molecular packing areas of the substrate gangliosides and the resulting product glycosphingolipids. This allows to control and monitor the surface pressure and the ganglioside intermolecular organization (cross-sectional packing areas and dipole potentials) in a continuous manner during the catalytic process. It was found that the rate and the extent of the enzymatic reaction depended markedly on the lateral surface pressure. In general, the activity of neuraminidase against GM3 and GD1a was higher at lower surface pressure. This corresponded to larger intermolecular spacings among the ganglioside molecules. Both the activity and the extent of the reaction against GM3 were higher than toward GD1a. GM1 could not be degraded by the enzyme, irrespective of the surface pressure but the enzyme could interact with this ganglioside. A latency period, longer for GM3 than for GD1a, was observed prior to the onset of rapid degradation; this indicates that pre-catalytic steps are occurring at the interface before effective ganglioside degradation takes place. The latency period, the total amount of ganglioside degraded, and the velocity of the reaction varied with the surface pressure in different manners. Our data indicate that the different steps of the catalytic reaction occurring at the surface (i.e., substrate recognition and interfacial adsorption, catalysis, maximum extent of substrate conversion) are independently regulated by the molecular organization of the substrate gangliosides.

Possible role of myelin-associated neuraminidase in membrane adhesion

Previous studies from our laboratory have demonstrated the presence of a specific interaction between myelin-associated neuraminidase and GM1 (Saito and Yu, J Neurochem 47:632-641, 1986). In the present study, we further characterized this neuraminidase-GM1 interaction and examined its role in the adhesion of rat oligodendroglial cells to GM1. Hydrolysis of N-acetylneuramin-lactitol by the enzyme was inhibited by GM1 in a competitive manner; GM1 itself was not hydrolyzed, suggesting that GM1 may serve as a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme. Asialo-GM1 had no inhibitory effect. When a soluble enzyme preparation was applied to a GM1-linked affinity column, the enzyme activity was retained on the column and was recovered from the column only by elution with a buffer containing 5 mM 2,3-dehydro-2-deoxy-N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu2en5Ac), a competitive inhibitor of neuraminidase. A binding study with 51Cr-labeled rat oligodendroglial cells showed that oligodendroglial cells bound preferentially to GM1 developed on a thin-layer plate, but not to other gangliosides such as GM3, GD1a, GD1b, and GT1b. The binding reaction to GM1 was inhibited by Neu2en5Ac (5 mM). These results suggest that myelin-associated neuraminidase specifically interacts with GM1 and may be involved in adhesion of oligodendroglial cells to GM1. This neuraminidase-GM1 interaction may play an important role in the formation and stabilization of the multilamellar structure of the myelin sheath.

Entry of newly synthesized gangliosides into myelin

Ganglioside synthesis and transport to myelin was studied in brainstem slices prepared from 19-21-day-old rats. The slices were incubated for up to 2 h in the presence of [3H]glucosamine to label primarily the hexosamine portion of complex gangliosides. The amount of radioactivity incorporated into gangliosides during slice incubations was only 10-15% of the amount of the label incorporated during in vivo labeling of brainstem gangliosides using equivalent amounts of [3H]glucosamine. Among individual gangliosides this inhibition was greater for the more complex gangliosides. When labeled gangliosides were isolated from homogenate and myelin fractions prepared from brain slices, the complex total gangliosides of both fractions showed a lag in labeling kinetics but with a lower specific radioactivity for the myelin fraction, reflecting the larger pool size and slower turnover rate exhibited by myelin components. Chase experiments showed that more complex gangliosides in homogenate exhibited almost no effect of chase after 30 min. Addition of the Golgi-disrupting agent monensin to slice incubations inhibited the labeling of all gangliosides except GM3, GM2, and GD3, and transport to myelin of all complex gangliosides except GM2. These results show that a monensin-sensitive mode of transport is responsible for the translocation of most newly synthesized gangliosides into myelin.

Neuraminidase activities in oligodendroglial cells of the rat brain

Neuraminidase activities in oligodendroglial cells were characterized using rats of different ages. Rat oligodendroglial cells had intrinsic neuraminidase activities directed toward GM3 and N-acetylneuramin(2-3)lactitol (NL). Developmental profiles of the neuraminidase activities toward the two substrates in oligodendroglial cells were different from each other. The neuraminidase activity toward GM3 increased rapidly with the onset of active myelination and, after 26 days of development, reached the adult level which was about 18 times higher than that in myelin. At the adult age, oligodendroglial cells had the highest neuraminidase activity toward GM3 among the individual brain cell types examined. The activity of NL-neuraminidase showed a less remarkable developmental profile, with a peak value at 26 days. The UDP-galactose:ceramide galactosyltransferase activity in oligodendroglial cells increased during the period of active myelination and, afterward, returned to the basal level. The enrichment and unique developmental profile in oligodendroglial cells of the neuraminidase activity toward GM3 suggest that this enzyme may play an important role in the formation and maintenance of the myelin sheath.

Role of myelin-associated neuraminidase in the ganglioside metabolism of rat brain myelin

The role of myelin-associated neuraminidase in ganglioside metabolism was examined using rats of ages ranging from 17 to 97 days. The neuraminidase activity directed toward the ganglioside GM3 in the total myelin fraction was high during the period of active myelination and, thereafter, decreased rapidly to the adult level. The ganglioside composition became simpler during development with an increasing amount of GM1 and decreasing percentages of di- and polysialogangliosides. The decrease in the proportion of GD1a was most prominent, whereas relative amounts of GD1b and GT1b increased transiently before reducing to the adult levels. The heavy myelin subfraction contained higher percentages of di- and polysialo-species compared to the light myelin fraction at young and adult ages. The in vitro incubation of myelin of young rats under an optimal condition for neuraminidase action produced a profile of ganglioside changes similar to that observed in in vivo development. These results strongly suggest that myelin-associated neuraminidase may play a pivotal role in the developmental changes in the ganglioside composition of rat brain myelin.

Glycerophosphorylcholine phosphocholine phosphodiesterase activity of rat brain myelin

Myelin isolated from rat brain possessed the ability to release phosphorylcholine from glycerophosphorylcholine, and this activity was enriched 3.2-fold over that of the original homogenate. This glycerophosphorylcholine phosphocholine phosphodiesterase activity had a pH optimum at 9.5, had a Km of 0.2 mM, and a Vmax of 150 nmoles/mg protein/hr. The enzyme had a specific requirement for Zn+2 with an optimum concentration at 0.25 mM. Maximum enzyme activity was at 50 degrees C and an Arrhenius plot showed a breakpoint at 40 degrees. p-Nitrophenylphosphorylcholine was also hydrolyzed by purified myelin and was a competitive inhibitor of glycerophosphorylcholine phosphocholine phosphodiesterase activity with a Ki of 0.075 mM. Glycerolphosphorylethanolamine was hydrolyzed only 5% compared with GPC, but it was not an inhibitor.

Ganglioside and lipid composition of bulk-isolated rat and bovine oligodendroglia

We have examined the ganglioside composition of 30-day and 60-day postnatal rat oligodendroglia, adult bovine oligodendroglia, gray matter, white matter, and myelin and also the total lipid composition of the oligodendroglial preparations. The ganglioside patterns of rat and bovine oligodendroglia, as previously found for human oligodendroglia, were more complex than those of myelin. These data indicate that oligodendroglial perikarya can synthesize many brain type gangliosides, not all of which are incorporated into the compact myelin. Alternatively, the ganglioside composition of myelin may be altered in situ by the myelin-associated neuraminidase. In these two species, as in human, GM4 appears specific to oligodendroglia and myelin, while GD3 and GM3 are enriched in oligodendroglia but not myelin. In bovine oligodendrocytes GD3 is the major ganglioside. The total lipid concentration, as well as the percentage of cholesterol, sphingomyelin, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylserine, differ for 30- and 60-day-old rat oligodendroglia and may be developmentally correlated with changes in myelin composition during myelinogenesis. There are also marked differences in the lipid composition of bovine oligodendroglia compared to rat oligodendroglia, with the former having more galactolipid and less ethanolamine phosphoglycerides.

Further characterization of a myelin-associated neuraminidase: properties and substrate specificity

A neuraminidase activity in myelin isolated from adult rat brains was examined. The enzyme activity in myelin was first compared with that in microsomes using N-acetylneuramin(alpha 2----3)lactitol (NL) as a substrate. In contrast to the microsomal neuraminidase which exhibited a sharp pH dependency for its activity, the myelin enzyme gave a very shallow pH activity curve over a range between 3.6 and 5.9. The myelin enzyme was more stable to heat denaturation (65 degrees C) than the microsomal enzyme. Inhibition studies with a competitive inhibitor, 2,3-dehydro-2-deoxy-N-acetylneuraminic acid, showed the Ki value for the myelin neuraminidase to be about one-fifth of that for the microsomal enzyme (1.3 X 10(-6) M versus 6.3 X 10(-6) M). The apparent Km values for the myelin and the microsomal enzyme were 1.3 X 10(-4) M and 4.3 X 10(-4) M, respectively. An enzyme preparation that was practically devoid of myelin lipids was then prepared and its substrate specificity examined. The "delipidated enzyme" could hydrolyze fetuin, NL, and ganglioside substrates, including GM1 and GM2. When the delipidated enzyme was exposed to high temperature (55 degrees C) or low pH (pH 2.54), the neuraminidase activities toward NL and GM3 decreased at nearly the same rate. Both fetuin and 2,3-dehydro-2-deoxy-N-acetylneuraminic acid inhibited NL and GM3 hydrolysis. With 2,3-dehydro-2-deoxy-N-acetylneuraminic acid, inhibition of NL was greater than that of GM3; however, the Ki values for each substrate were almost identical. GM3 and GM1 also competitively inhibited the hydrolysis of NL and NL similarly inhibited GM3 hydrolysis by the enzyme. These results indicate that rat brain myelin has intrinsic neuraminidase activities toward nonganglioside as well as ganglioside substrates, and that these two enzyme activities are likely catalyzed by a single enzyme entity.